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Sweet, Sweet Revenge
Sweet, Sweet Revenge a collab by Firey and Eevee. Sequel to Silver Skies. One -- Eevee Skypaw raced through the trees as fast as he could, his leg slowing him down. "Silverpaw!" he called in despair. "Wait!" The silver she-cat ahead of him didn't stop. She didn't even look back. Skypaw wasn't angry; he understood her frustration at the Clan. With another burst of speed, Skypaw caught up to Silverpaw after she slipped on something. "Silverpaw!" he panted, slowing to a halt beside her. He nuzzled her face, but she pulled away, whimpering. "You aren't a curse," he whispered, his eyes full of sorrow. "Just because they say you are doesn't mean you are." Silverpaw just looked away, her eyes full of tears. She lowered her head, looking down at her paws. "Silverpaw, please listen." Skypaw begged, tears stinging his eyes. A light drizzle was soaking his pelt, but he didn't care. At least it would hide his tears if he began to cry. "You were never a curse, and you aren't now." The silver apprentice glanced at his eyes for a moment, then averted her eyes back to her paws. "But, Skypaw..." she whispered, barely audible. She shuffled her paws. Skypaw continued, "It wasn't you that led the badger to me. It wasn't you that killed your parents. It was never you." His blue-and-white fur was slicked down by the light rain, and he shook his fur a bit, even though it would be useless. "Silverpaw, don't you understand? You have brought nothing but good into the Clan, but no one else understands. No one except me." "...Skypaw, you don't understand." Silverpaw mewed quietly, getting to her paws. "And if you don't, then nobody does." With that, she turned tail and sped off into the trees, leaving Skypaw alone in the rain. "No... I understand perfectly well..." Skypaw whispered, not moving. He didn't run after her. He just watched her run away from him. Two -- Firey Silverpaw hid in the bush, staring at Skypaw as he got closer. She didn't want him near her. She knew that she was going to cause more misery in his life, and he didn't deserve that. He had stopped running after her, but he was slowly walking towards her. She didn't move, afraid that movement would cause the ferns to rustle, thus causing Skypaw to see her. Skypaw didn't understand. Her pain, her misery, the truth. In truth, didn't she cause her mother to die? If she hadn't been so difficult to be born, then Cloudstream wouldn't have died from the pain and the exhaustion. Wasn't all the deaths and injuries her fault too? Maybe Swirlstripe was right, she should have died long ago, instead of causing pain and misery for the one cat she loves. "Silverpaw?" She heard Skypaw mew softly. "Silverpaw, please stop running or hiding away. I want to help you, and I can't unless you're at my side." She shrunk away as he drew closer. "Please." Finally, when he drew back the ferns, Silverpaw rushed forward. Skypaw yelped and scrambled back, but Silverpaw cannoned into him. Then she spoke her first words since her outburst when Skypaw had first been chasing her. "Skypaw, thank you for standing up for me." He sighed in relief. "I love you, Silverpaw, and I'm never going to return to the Clan without you. I want to help you get revenge." Silverpaw only stared at him, "Revenge? What for?" She only spoke around Skypaw now, because he made her feel safe. If she met anyone else, they could believe that she was mute and could not speak. Skypaw narrowed his eyes. "Those fools thinks that you're a curse!" Silverpaw shrugged, her eyes sad and erased of hope. "What if I am, Skypaw? You saw what happened to the Clan when I was there!" The blue and white tom shook his head firmly. "No, I won't believe that. You're a blessing from StarClan, Silverpaw, not a curse." "How do you know?" Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. Skypaw stared into her blue, misty eyes with his strong ones. "Because I know you, Silverpaw. You've been my best friend since we were kits, and you're always going to be my best friend. I know you wouldn't harm the Clan on purpose, nevertheless unleash a curse on us." "Us?" "Right," he muttered, "We're not part of the Clan anymore." When Silverpaw didn't reply, he continued mutinously. "Sometimes, I wish you could unleash a curse, that way the Clan would truly suffer." Silverpaw took a step away from him. "Never!" She whispered softly. "I know they hurt me, but I could never hurt them back. They were only doing that they believed was right." "Or cruel. They knew they were being cruel to you." Skypaw pointed out, then his eyes hardened. "Especially Swirlstripe." "Your mother?" Skypaw snarled. "No! She's no longer my mother. She couldn't be a mother for you, and she couldn't accept the fact that you're living a life of sorrow! I was the only one who understood. Everyone let you run off into the wild without caring at all!" Silverpaw lowered her gaze. "Do what you must, Skypaw, but I will not harm them." "Not even after all the damage they did to you?" Skypaw inquired. "Never will I hurt another cat." She whispered back. "It is my will, my choice. I trust that you're doing this on my behalf, and mine alone." Skypaw nodded. "I'm doing this for you. Just stay at my side forever." "Always." Three -- Eevee Skypaw limped alongside Silverpaw, ears pricked for any sign of life. He tasted the air and scented mouse. "Silverpaw," he mewed quietly, nodding toward the small, clueless grey rodent. He crouched, stalking foreward shakily. A silver blur flashed ahead of him, and Silverpaw sat up, the mouse in her jaws. She blinked her blue eyes, then got up and padded over to Skypaw. The blue-and-white apprentice mumbled, "I could've caught that..." "Your leg isn't in shape for that." she said quietly, nudging the mouse toward him. Skypaw shook his head in refusal. "You caught it, Silverpaw. You can eat it." He pushed it back to her with his paw. Shaking her head, Silverpaw meowed, "I can catch another. You need your strength." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and headed back through the trees. Skypaw sighed and lie down near a log. He took a bite out of the fresh-kill, chewing half-heartedly. He wasn't hungry, but he didn't want Silverpaw to be upset. He remembered sitting in front of the apprentices' den with the other apprentices, talking and sharing tongues. ...no! He wouldn't remember anything from that foolish Clan! He shook his head. "What am I thinking?" he growled to himself. "Traitors..." Silverpaw pushed through the bushes, a vole in her jaws. She lay down beside Skypaw, dropping the vole at her paws. She stretched her neck, then delicately bit into the vole. The two ate in silence for a few minutes. Then, when Skypaw was finished, he pushed the remains of the prey to the side and meowed, "Thanks, Silverpaw." The silver she-cat looked up and nodded. She swallowed and replied, "For the mouse?" "No. For staying with me." Skypaw corrected, looking into Silverpaw's bright blue eyes. "You're probably the first to remain by my side. Well, other than Swirl-" he stopped himself. "Never mind." He dug his claws into the ground. "I-it's okay." Silverpaw stammered, looking back at her unfinished vole. She pushed it away and put her head on her paws. Both were silent for a long while. "Let's go." Skypaw eventually meowed, pushing himself to his paws. He watched Silverpaw stand and the two cats began to walk absently through the forest. "We need to find a den." Silverpaw mewed, turning to face Skypaw. "You're right." Skypaw glanced around. He saw a wide den mouth cutting into the ground, so he limped over to it. "How about here?" he asked Silverpaw. She shrugged. "Whatever you want." "No, I want you to choose." Skypaw protested, nudging Silverpaw's shoulder. "So this den or n-" A voice startled both apprentices. "Hm? Who's there?" A pale grey head poked out of the den, its pale blue eyes bright. "Visitors?" the cat inquired. "Aren't you in that little Clan thing that I've seen patrol the borders?" Silverpaw slowly backed away to stand beside Skypaw, her pelt bristling. Her blue eyes were squeezed shut, and she crouched by his paws, pressing against his legs. Skypaw stroked her back with his tailtip, and he meowed to the cat, "She's shy." He flicked his ears. "Anyway, we aren't in that Clan thing ''anymore. We left. Anyway, who are you?" "Me? Oh, I'm Sleet~" the grey tom introduced. He blinked, and then held out a paw. Confused, Skypaw stared at Sleet's paw. The other cat blinked, then set his paw back down. "So, why're you here~?" "We need a place to stay." Skypaw meowed. He flicked his tail. "Oh?" Sleet twitched his ears, then offered, "If you need somewhere to stay ''now, you can stay here if you want." "No, thanks." Skypaw growled coolly. Sleet twitched his tail tip. "Okay." He turned back to his den. "But if you need a place to stay when night falls, don't come back to me~" He padded back into his den. "Wait!" Skypaw yowled unnecessarily loudly. "One day." He felt a raindrop hit his nose, and he looked up to see dark grey clouds rolling across the sky. Sleet looked back at him. "Changed your mind them, hm~?" His white ear flicked as a large raindrop hit it. "Alright, fine. Come in~" Silverpaw whispered into Skypaw's ear, "Can we trust him?" Her voice was fearful. "For now." Skypaw whispered back. The two followed him into the den. ~ The two followed Sleet through a short dark tunnel, slowly opening up into a wide area, with pale light filtering through a hole in the ceiling. Silverpaw pressed closer to Skypaw. Sleet glanced around, seemingly confused. "Ah, not again." he mumbled, then called out, "Rain! We have guests!" When no one replied, he rolled his eyes and padded over to a rock. He walked back over to them, a she-kit held by the scruff in his jaws. She looked identical to Sleet, the same shade of grey fur, and the same left white ear and bright blue eyes. He dropped the kit at his paws, and the kit leapt on his front leg and clung to it like she was about to fall several tree-lengths into a chasm. "Meet Rain." Sleet meowed. "She's my sister, as you've probably guessed. Rain, meet our guests." Rain glanced at the two apprentices, then looked away. Skypaw looked around, blinking. Silverpaw was still pressed close to him as the two walked forward toward a few nests in another corner. Skypaw glanced back at Sleet. "Are these the nests we stay in?" he asked. When Sleet nodded, Skypaw practically threw himself into one of the nests, stretching out beside Silverpaw, who lay curled up. She was already asleep. "Thanks for letting us stay here." Skypaw yawned. "No problem~" Sleet replied, heading to his own nest in another corner. He shook Rain off of his front leg and curled up, his tail over his face. Rain pressed against him, her ears flat to her head. Skypaw rolled over as he thought about the silver she-cat that looked like Silverpaw. The spirit-like cat that had led him to her before the badger struck. He fell into an uneasy sleep. Four -- Firey The first thing Silverpaw saw when she woke up was Rain's tiny face peeking up at her. "Are you alright?" She squeaked softly, her wide blue eyes piercing hers. Rain curled up in her flank, her floppy tail resting on Silverpaw's. "I don't know if I count as 'alright'." Silverpaw whispered, scared to utter words in front of a total stranger. Her beautiful voice carried across to Rain's ears. "What happened?" Asked the little kitten. Silverpaw flattened her ears. "I lost my family when I was a kit, and my foster mother, Skypaw's mother, treated me like I was nothing. I took a vow of silence around everyone except Skypaw, and I guess you." Rain leaned in closer. "Sleet and I had a kind mother." She prompted. "But she died early on. Our father got angry, and he stopped caring about his actions. He beat us every night, and every morning, until Sleet dealt with him." Silverpaw looked down at the little kitten. "Is he really trustworthy?" "I think so." Rain sighed. "He's a bit unpredictable." She lifted her head, and stared at the clouds. "His past is rocky." Silverpaw curled up again, Rain's warmth flooding into her bones. "You two are kind to offer us a home when we have nowhere to go." Rain shrugged. "Anyone would do it." Skypaw suddenly yawned real loudly, his blue and white paws flailing in the air. "Good morning, Silverpaw." He mewed sleepily. Then he proceeded to flopping over and fell asleep once more. Rain suppressed a giggle and began to play with Silverpaw's tail. "I like you." Rain proceeded, her paws battering Silverpaw's long, delicate tail. "You remind me of Snow." "Who's Snow?" Silverpaw murmured, her head resting on her paws now. Rain stopped playing for a moment, her eyes solemn. "She was my mother." She mewed softly, "Before she died of greencough." Silverpaw just nodded, not knowing what to say. Finally, she whispered. "I'm sorry." Rain shrugged. "She's safe in the stars now, away from Hail's abusive ways." Her eyes darkened. "Sleet was kind enough to help me get away." Sleet's bulky shape appeared suddenly. "Get up, it's morning now. You promised to only stay a night." His voice was cold. Skypaw sleepily sat up, his tail flopped on the ground. "Can we please stay a few more nights? There's nowhere for us to go anyways." Rain scurried over to her brother, her tail wrapped around theirs. She leaned close to his ear and whispered something, and Sleet stiffened a bit, then relaxed. "Rain tells me you have been good visitors to her. You may stay a few more nights, until I say so." But Silverpaw could see that Sleet liked the company. He looked lonely, with only his little sister for company. "Thank you." Silverpaw whispered softly. "For your kindness." Five -- Eevee "Skypaw?" The blue-and-white tom mumbled something, closing his eyes again. When a paw gently nudged his flank, he glared up at the one that had spoken. He saw Silverpaw standing over him. He regretted glaring at her like that, then he mewed, "Yeah, Silverpaw?" "Sleet's going hunting, and he didn't want to leave Rain alone. Are you going to stay or should I?" the light silver she-cat asked. "Hm. You're better with kits than I am." A squeak sounded from across the den. "I am not ''a kit!" The two apprentices let out purrs of laughter. Skypaw, throwing a glance toward Rain, corrected himself, "You're better with cats like her than I am. But I don't want to leave you here, because what if a badger or something comes?" A worried look flashed in his eyes. "Don't worry." Both apprentices whirled around to see Sleet, who was sitting near the den's exit tunnel. He had been the one to speak. "The den is protected from anything that might notice it; I put a thorn wall kind-of thing up when I'm gone. No one really notices it, because of the wall." Skypaw sighed. "Okay, if you're sure." He turned back to Silverpaw. "And you're sure you want to stay?" Silverpaw nodded. "Yes." Noticing Skypaw's unconvinced look, she added, "I'll be fine." She flicked his ear with her tail. "All right?" "Okay." Throwing one last glance over his shoulder, he followed Sleet through the tunnel leading outside. ~*~*~ Skypaw limped behind Sleet, ears perked for any sounds. "You can't limp forever, you know~" Sleet commented, stopping and looking back at the other tom. "I know. But, according to someone I used to know, they said I'd limp forever." Skypaw mumbled, looking away. "Hm~ Your leg is just broken, if I may guess." Sleet meowed, blinking his eyes. He padded over to Skypaw, sitting down beside him. "And broken legs mend - if they are taken care of." He flicked his tail. "Fortunately for you, I know how to treat these kinds of wounds. Stay there." He got to his paws and padded away. After a few moments, he returned with some kinds of herbs. The pale-grey tom dropped the herbs beside Skypaw's leg. "Okay, now stay still." Sleet took a two sticks out of the pile. "Your friend mustn't have known much about this kind of stuff," he mewed, the sticks muffling his voice. "Lay down, but keep your leg still." Skypaw obeyed. Sleet lay one of the sticks under his leg, and one on top. The apprentice flinched, but didn't move his leg. Sleet took another plant out of the pile, then wrapped it around the leg and over the sticks. Then, he wrapped something around his paw. ''Cobweb? ''Skypaw thought, puzzled. He stifled a yowl of pain as Sleet wrapped the cobweb around the apprentice's leg. "Finished~" Sleet meowed, stepping back. "All right, you might fully recover from this, like the last cat I used this treatment on, but you might not." Skypaw nodded understandingly. "Okay. Thanks, Sleet." he mewed. "No problem." Sleet wasn't looking at Skypaw now; he was gazing into the forest, a forlorn look in his eyes. "Sleet?" Skypaw asked, blinking. He was about to get up and call for help, but then Sleet got to his paws. Sleet didn't look at the apprentice as he said, "Let's just go hunting." Six -- Firey Silverpaw and Rain sat together in the den, their tails overlapping each other. "So Sleet hunts for you while you stay here?" Silverpaw mewed, her eyes shadowed by doubt. Rain shook her head. "He usually takes me along, which was how he found you and Skypaw. But since you're here today, Sleet decided to have one of you stay with me while the other goes hunting with him. I like this better, you should stay forever, Silverpaw." The silver apprentice bowed her head a bit, her eyes sad and misty. "But I can't, Rain," she whispered softly, "I just can't. Skypaw and I have to keep moving forward, towards... whatever he wants to do. Maybe when we're done with our business, we can return to live with you two." Rain was quiet after that, her tail flicking back at forth. The little kitten leaned over and rested her head against Silverpaw's flank. "I'll miss you." Silverpaw glanced down at Rain, who was glancing back at her in sorrow. Silverpaw felt as though she had established a rapport with Rain, who was sighing as she leaned against Silverpaw's flank. "You're the first friend I ever had," the litte kitten explained, "Sleet was always really protective of me, but he's my brother, not my friend." "Do you have any favorite places around here?" Silverpaw asked curiously, her eyes alight. Rain nodded eagerly and stood up, her small, soft paws pattering across the forest floor. "Follow me!" She mewed happily, her tail waving. Silverpaw laughed but she had a flicker of doubt. ''What about what Sleet and Skypaw said? Didn't they want us to stay put? She shook her head and placed the thought aside. It won't matter, Rain and I are just going to go see her favorite spot. We'll be back in no time, and I know how to fight and defend myself. Rain looked back and saw Silverpaw hesitated. "Come on!" she squealed excited, "We're going for an adventure!" Silverpaw purred as she bounded after the little gray kitten, delighted that they were still together, enjoying the day. "It should be around this tree and past that grove." Rain explained. "It's a place full of flowers and trees, and it's really amazing and beautiful!" The silver she-cat nuzzled the little kitten and nodded. "It sounds gorgeous." Silverpaw watched as Rain bounded off, and she thought. She's practically impeccable. She's an affable little kitten, and Sleet's lucky that he has her by his side. But at that moment, Rain let out a scream of distress. Silverpaw's blood froze and she rushed forward, her paws slapping the hard ground. "Rain!" She yowled, her voice rising for the first time in moons. She didn't care if others heard her voice or if anyone saw her, now was not the time for her sensitive matters. Rain was in trouble. "Silverpaw!" This time is was Skypaw's voice. Silverpaw didn't turn around and look, but she could hear him crashing through the undergrowth ahead. I can't just find him now, I have to save Rain! She lunged forward, and saw a badger looming over the kitten. Rain let out a squeal of terror and shut her eyes. For a moment, Silverpaw saw Skypaw in her place, his face filled with horror and terror as the badger's paw crashed down on his leg while Silverpaw lay on the grass where he pushed her. Silverpaw blinked away the image and hurtled forward, desperate to do what Skypaw had done. She prayed to StarClan that she would be fast enough, but another blur of gray crashed in front of her, and she was forced to stop. "Rain!" A strangled scream erupted from her throat, but Sleet was already rushing forward. But it was too late. The little kitten let out a feeble scream and the badger's paw swallowed her up before it stomped away, growling. Sleet let out a wail and he whirled around, slashing at Skypaw with his paws. "You useless creature!" He snarled. "Saving your own girlfriend instead of saving Rain!" Skypaw's eyes widened. "You would rather let Silverpaw die then let Rain die? Silverpaw would have been killed along wtih Rain!" Rain can't be dead. Silverpaw thought, shutting her eyes and rocking back and forth, trying to shut out the argument. Rain can't be dead. But as she opened her eyes, all she saw was Rain's limp body and Sleet's larger body curling around her, carressing her. "Go away!" He hissed. "All you brought was danger to my sister and I, and now she's dead! Just leave, if I ever find you near me again, I'll flay you both!" She can't be dead! Silverpaw willed, her blue eyes wide as she stared at Rain's lifeless and flopped form. Her breath quickened, and then she started to back away.'' Rain's alive, she's alive and we're going to be best friends and go see her favorite place.'' But she's dead. Seven -- Eevee Skypaw and Silverpaw walked on in silence. They had left Sleet alone with Rain after the death threat he'd made. He had been sure Sleet could have been his friend, but then, that accursed badger attacked. Now, Sleet blamed him ''for that stupid kit's death. It was her own fault for running into the badger! Silverpaw noticed her friend's furious look and mewed, "It's okay, Skypaw-" "No! It isn't!" Skypaw snapped. "That idiot blames me for his stupid friend's death! What, did he expect me to be able to fight a badger with my leg broken!?" His fur was bristling, and his tail lashing. "No one could've done anything. No one can fight off a badger." He hung his head, tears of rage stinging his eyes. Silverpaw's soft voice sounded. "You did." She sounded hurt, like Skypaw had just clawed her over her eye. "What did I do?" Skypaw hissed under his breath, his voice cracking. "You fought a badger, and it fled." "No, it fled when those stupid Clan cats showed up!" the blue-and-white tom retorted icily, running ahead. "Skypaw..." Silverpaw whispered, her voice desperate. "I'm worthless." Skypaw spat, throwing himself into a tree. Pain stung his shoulder. "Worthless." He struck the tree again, and a new wave of pain spread through him. He barely heard Silverpaw's cries as he whispered furiously, "Worthless." Again and again he ran into the tree. Blood ran down his shoulder, and he collapsed, tears flowing freely from his eyes. A soft, feathery tail laid across his back, and he looked up, not caring who saw him. But he knew it was going to be Silverpaw. "You aren't worthless, Skypaw." the silver she-cat whispered, her bright blue eyes calm. "Now just stay still so I can treat the wound-" "No! Leave me like this." Skypaw growled, burying his face in his paws. He felt Silverpaw's tail lift from his back, but he didn't care. "It's better for me to stay like this. Someone as useless as I am." He closed his eyes. The blood running sluggishly down his shoulder felt strange, like a snake slithering over his side, looking for somewhere to strike. Which would have been great in that moment. ~*~*~*~*~ That night, it had begun to rain again. A grim reminder of that kit and her brother. The two apprentices had found a hidden spot where they could make their nests for the night. Skypaw was curled up on one side of the den, Silverpaw on the other. Silverpaw was already asleep, her quiet breathing filling the den. But Skypaw was wide awake, listening to Silverpaw and the rain and the distant thunder. He shifted his paws, trying to get comfortable. He sat up, gazing into the rain. He watched the water splash roughly on the grass, his claws digging into the moss and feathers that made up his nest. He narrowed his eyes mailciously. He needed revenge on more than just the Clan now. Skypaw lie down, curling his tail over his paws and placing his head on his tail. He made sure to place his leg to where it would be okay, and closed his eyes. ~*~*~*~*~ "Skypaw." a voice mewed softly. The blue-and-white tom blinked his eyes open, seeing a pale, blurry silver blob. "Silverpaw? What is it..." he mumbled. "Skypaw." the voice mewed again, a tinge of sorrow in its voice. "What?" Skypaw asked, sitting up. It wasn't Silverpaw. It was the pale silver she-cat he'd seen days before, while he was still in the Clan. He still heard the rain pounding down on the grass outside, and it was still dark. He guessed that it was moonhigh. "Skypaw." the pale she-cat mewed again, her voice heavy with sadness. She turned and slowly, almost unnaturally, headed out of the den. She didn't look back. The apprentice got to his paws and followed the she-cat out of the den into the rain. The silver she-cat ahead of him still didn't look back; only moved unnaturally slowly. It was strange; she was going so slow it had seemed like Skypaw could catch up in one pawstep. But no. She always stayed ahead. After some walking, the two reached a place familiar to Skypaw. It was Sleet's den. The silver she-cat whispered, "Skypaw." She looked back, her pale green eyes misty. She pushed aside the thorn wall, leading the skeptical Skypaw into the den. Skypaw saw Sleet curled up in his nest, his paws twitching every few heartbeats. He murmured in his sleep. Skypaw's eyes narrowed at him. "So?" the apprentice whispered to the silver she-cat beside him. "Listen to him." the silver she-cat whispered, her voice barely a breeze. Sleet was mumbling things like "I'm sorry." and "Forgive me." "Yeah, so?" Skypaw said again. "Follow me." the pale silver cat turned and led him away from the den, to the spot where the badger crossed paths with Rain. There, in the rain, was a small grey she-cat, with a white left ear, and pale sky-blue eyes, and she was wandering around pointlessly, crying out, "Come on, Silverpaw! You haven't seen my favorite place yet!" Eight -- Firey When Silverpaw woke up, Skypaw was sitting in his nest staring at the sky. She blinked and scooted closer to him, whispering, "You look troubled, what's wrong?" "Nothing, just thinking about the Clan." Silverpaw merely nodded and mewed, "I'm going to go hunting." She declared quietly. Skypaw's head jerked up. "Do you want me to join you? There could be other badgers out there and..." His voice trailed off as Silverpaw got up upbruptly and pushed past him. "I'll be fine." She padded outside with Skypaw staring after her and turned towards Rain's grave. She knew that Sleet would be nearby, but she had to say goodbye to Rain once more before they left the area. As she got closer, she could feel the drafts of wind from last night's storm. She reached the little she-cats grave and she bowed her head. "I'm so sorry, Rain. I shouldn't have brought you out of the den. We should have stayed at your home, that way you would still be alive." ''But you never got to see my favorite place! Silverpaw flinched at the memory of Rain's sweet little voice calling for her to follow her. "Rain... I-" Then something shimmered in front of her. A shadowy and starry image of Rain appeared in front of her, "Silverpaw, come on!" she squealed, "You haven't seen my favorite place yet!" The silver she-cat blinked, then chased after Rain as the little kitten trotted away. They wove through the forest until they reached a silent little clearing. "This is my favorite place to be." Rain whispered. Silverpaw looked around, then realized they were at her grave once more, but Rain had brought her back in time where her body had not been buried in this clearing. "Sleet laid you to rest here." Silverpaw whispered, glancing at Rain fondly. The young little kitten purred, "I know, he's such a sweet brother..." Her voice trailed off, "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer. I made it worse between you and Sleet." "No, it's fine. We only caused trouble for you both." Rain shook her head. "It was destiny for us to meet, Silverpaw." "You seem wiser in StarClan." Rain didn't flinch at the Clan words. She stared at Silverpaw with amusement in her eyes. "I was always wise!" She laughed. Silverpaw touched noses with Rain and whispered, "I ought to go back before Sleet notices me here." Rain nodded. "Bye, Silverpaw." "Bye, Rain..." ~ She trotted through the forest and saw Sleet crouched at Rain's grave. "Oh my sweet little sister, I did everything I could to protect you. First from Snow's demise, then from Hail's abuse, and now I've failed at protecting you from that badger." "I made a mistake when I sent Skypaw and Silverpaw away. I should have apologized and said sorry, but it's too late now. They shouldn't return." Silverpaw watched Sleet talk on and on, and she turned away, knowing she was intruding on a sweet and heavy moment. When she got back to their makeshift home, Skypaw looked up. "I know what we're going to do next." The light in his eyes was terrifying. "What?" "We're going to destroy the Clan." Nine -- Eevee Silverpaw looked horrified. "D-''destroy'' the Clan?" he echoed, her eyes wide. Skypaw nodded. "Yeah." "But we're only two apprentices!" the silver tabby she-cat pointed out, her fur fluffed out. "What..." "We could destroy them from the inside." When Silverpaw looked confused, he added, "Y'know, like, turn every cat against each other 'til there's no one left." Skypaw shrugged. "It could work." "But..." Silverpaw shook her head. "I..." "I know it's sudden, but it's all I have." Skypaw insisted. "They need to pay for what they did to you - what they did to us." He flicked his tail tip. "Please, Silverpaw." Is she going to say no? ...I-is she going to leave me...? He shook the thought away. She would never leave me. Never. The silver apprentice didn't say anything, only averting her leafy eyes to her paws. Skypaw sighed. "Silverpaw, if we tried any other plan, we'd probably be killed. It's the only way." "But what about Rosepetal? She was nice." Silverpaw mewed hesitantly. "And Bluefur." "Don't mention them, Silverpaw." Skypaw snapped, then instantly regretted it when she looked startled and hurt. "Sorry. It's just... they never tried to help you. They just sat by and never even made a move. But we shouldn't think about them. The Clan that sent you away because of some stupid she-cat's claim of a 'curse.'" That she-cat was once my mother, too. Skypaw thought bitterly, then shook the thought away. Someone that hurts my friends is not one I know. The blue-grey and white tom looked to his paws, then back up to Silverpaw, his blue eyes glimmering in determination. We can do this. "We can start with the one that started it all: Swirlstripe." Ten -- Firey Skypaw was stalking ahead of me, heading for the Clan borders. Silverpaw was feeling slightly uncomfortable. The rage in Skypaw's eyes terrified Silverpaw. "Are we really going to do this?" She whispered, a tremor in her voice. The light blue and white tom glanced back, "Of course!" He demanded, "If we're not going to destroy the Clan, we'll at least destroy the ones who gave us trouble. The one who wanted your demise." Silverpaw could tell that Skypaw meant every word he said, "Then...only Swirlstripe?" "We're starting with her, yes," Skypaw agreed. Only starting with her? Silverpaw thought uneasily, How many more lives will Skypaw take after his mother's? Will he really destroy the Clan? "You look tired," Skypaw supplied, "Are you alright?" "I'm fine," Silverpaw lied, "But a bit tired, like you said." Skypaw stooped down, "Please, you could stay somewhere else while I do the business. I have to do this for you." "Shouldn't I have a say in something that you're doing for me?" Silverpaw aruged quietly, shame flooding over her. Skypaw frowned, "Are you saying you wouldn't agree to this?" Silverpaw looked away, "I guess it's really your choice," she mumbled, "I just don't want to be there myself when this happens." Immediately the tom nodded reassuringly, "I won't force you into anything you don't want to do," he mewed, licking her cheek, "I wouldn't do that to you." Breathing in his scent, Silverpaw closed her eyes, "Let's go a little farther, then we'll rest and settled in for the night." "Okay." Please stay safe, Skypaw, don't do anything reckless. Eleven -- Eevee Skypaw blinked his blue eyes open. "Ow." he mumbled. "Sunlight hurts." He rubbed at his eyes with his paw, then looked over to Silverpaw. She was still curled up, but she looked like she was about to wake up. Skypaw didn't want to disturb her; instead, he stood and quietly stalked out from the makeshift den - a shallow hole under a bush. Time to begin. he thought as he padded further into the territory. To think I once called this my home. He felt a slight twinge of longing to be back at camp, but immediately shook it off. No! he scolded himself. No. It's not your home anymore. Despite being away from the place for so long, Skypaw could still remember every part of it. His ears flicked up at the sounds of the leaves on the trees rustling. He let out a heavy sigh and stopped walking, Being here was dragging back bad memories, including when he ran away, with a few cats crying out after him. The blue-furred tom looked back to a tree. He approached it and flexed his claws, hoping that his possibly-healed leg wouldn't hinder him from climbing. He latched onto the trunk with his forepaws, then scrambled up onto the lowest branch. The tom waited to regain his balance, then stalked forward and swept his blue gaze over the territory below. Skypaw sniffed at the air. The dawn patrol hasn't come by yet. he thought, twitching his ears. But they're probably close. He slowly stepped backwards. Feeling his tail brush over the tree trunk, he sat, apprehension prickling at his paws. I hope Silverpaw doesn't worry. She's probably awake. Maybe she knows that I'm going with the plan now. Suddenly the sounds of pawsteps were heard, and Skypaw's pelt bristled as three cats came into view. He was disappointed to not see his first actual target, but then his shoulders tensed. Among the group was a pinkish-cream she-cat. Rosepetal. The name came to Skypaw instantly. Swirlstripe's sister. Skypaw's claws dug into the bark underpaw, but he didn't leap down just yet. The other two cats with her could be a threat. He scrambled up to a higher branch and made sure that his pelt was concealed by leaves. He stared down at the group with cold eyes. One of the cats, a small dark brown tabby, blinked. "D-do you guys feel like we're being... w-watched?" His voice was nervous. A calico whom Skypaw recognized as Splashfeather snorted at the younger cat. "Hawkpaw, there's no such things at ghosts. Shut up." "B-but...!" Hawkpaw tried to protest. Splashfeather raised her tail, then threw a glare at the apprentice. "If you're so worried, then stay behind to find the ghost!" The argument continued, and Skypaw started to get bored. The two Clanmates were suddenly cut off by Rosepetal's voice. "I'll stay behind!" Splashfeather stared at her, then gave a curt nod and led Hawkpaw away, continuing on their patrol. Rosepetal's heavy sigh was audible, and Skypaw took the moment to silently swarm down the tree to his first branch. The pinkish-cream she-cat below now stood, her muscles tense. She looked as if she were debating whether or not to call out to her Clanmates, but before she could decide Skypaw threw himself down the tree at her. "Huh-!?" Rosepetal didn't even have time to react when Skypaw landed the first blow, a deep scratch to her shoulder. She snapped her gaze to her attacker, her pelt bristling, then she froze with her eyes wide. "Sk-Skypaw...?" The former apprentice raked his claws through her ear, making her cry out in pain. Skypaw's eyes blazed. I'm fighting Swirlstripe. I'm going to kill her. Rosepetal's claws dragging over his flank interrupted Skypaw's thoughts, and the blue-and-white tom snarled at her. "You're going to pay!" he hissed furiously. Then, louder, he yowled, "For Silverpaw!" He continued his repeated, rage-filled attacks, and Rosepetal continued defending herself. Finally Rosepetal leaped away, her cream fur fluffed out. The expression on her face was horrified. Blood trickled out of several scratches on her pelt. "Why are you doing this...!?" she wailed. "You know why!" Skypaw snapped. "Silverpaw's unfair exile, all because of you...!" He scraped his claws through the grass, scoring long marks in the dirt. The clawmarks from the warrior stung, but he shook the pain away. "H-huh...? But Skypaw, I only..." the warrior's voice drifted off, likely because she was too choked up to say anything. She looked down to her paws. "I tried to help her." she whispered at last. Her answer only made Skypaw more furious. "She didn't need your help!" he snarled. "You only hurt her! You thought she was a curse!" Finally he lunged at her, his claws aimed at her neck. The familiar cry was sudden. "Skypaw, no!" It sounded desperate, and Skypaw's eyes widened as a silver tabby leaped to stand in front of Rosepetal. Now the tabby lay on the ground with blood trailing from the fresh clawmarks in her neck, her blue eyes wide with horror. Rosepetal stared at the she-cat with some unknown emotions, but she looked afraid for the silver tabby. Skypaw's eyes stung as the realization dawned on him. "S-Silverpaw, no...!" Epilogue -- Firey Silverpaw's body convulsed in pain and Skypaw stood there in shock and horror. Other Clan cats burst out from around them, and they were helping Rosepetal up. All Skypaw could do was stare at Silverpaw's body. "I'm so sorry," words tumbled out, "I didn't mean to hurt you. The blow wasn't for you. I'm sorry...I love you Silverpaw." Skypaw repeated that over again. Silverpaw glanced up at Skypaw, then at the cats around her. "It's okay..." she whispered to everyone, "I forgive you all." Swirlstripe was helping her sister up and she snarled, "Unforgivable brat," she spat at Skypaw, "Get out of here!" Skypaw didn't turn to face his mother. His eyes were locked on Silverpaw's bleeding body. Then, almost hysterically, Skypaw shouted, "Someone get cobwebs! Save her!" When nobody moved, Skypaw lunged for the nearest cat, "Save her!" He wailed, "She's not a curse! Someone help her!" Silverpaw's eyes were closing now, and still none of the Clan cats moved. Rosepetal rasped, "Treat her," the cream warrior breathed out, "She doesn't deserve to die like that." Someone bustled forward. It was the medicine cat. Darkspots worked fervently, and Skypaw paced behind him. When Darkspots stood, Skypaw rushed over, "Will she live?" The medicine cat closed his eyes, "The wound is bleeding too heavily. StarClan is summoning her." Swirlstripe snorted, "She won't go to StarClan." Skypaw turned around and lashed out at his mother, "Shut up!" He shouted, "Silverpaw isn't a curse and it's all your fault she's dying! If you hadn't rejected her, this wouldn't have happened!" "Skypaw..." The blue and white tom shivered and slowly turned to see Silverpaw's light blue eyes gazing at him, "Don't be mad at them..." He hurried to her side and licked her cheek, "I'm so sorry..." Silverpaw shook her head, "Don't be. You let anger rule you. Nobody did anything wrong in the Clan. They only believed in something that wasn't real. Please...forgive them all..." Skypaw felt tears come to his eyes, "I will," he sobbed, "But please don't go." Silverpaw's tail gave a tiny twitch. "I have to, Skypaw... At least I'll meet Rain again in the stars," she smiled sadly, "I love you, Skypaw." The tom touched his nose to hers, breathing in her sweet scent one more time, "I love you too," he breathed out, "Please don't..." He never finished his sentence. Silverpaw's eyes closed, and his voice trailed away as her chest fell and stilled. "No," he wailed, "No, no, no!" He whirled around and began to run. Cats yelped and scurried out of his way, but he didn't care. He kept running, needing to get away from there. When he was a good distance away, Skypaw let loose a scream. He screamed for everything that had been taken away from him. He screamed for everything that had been broken. He screamed for his love, for Silverpaw. Skypaw sagged and closed his eyes, tears streaming from his face. He sent a message up to StarClan, where he had no doubt Silverpaw was waiting. You are everything to me. I'll never forget you. I'll hold you close to my heart until the day I die. You deserve more than what life has given you, and I know you'll find a better life in StarClan. I love you, I love you so much. I'm sorry for what I've done to you. Please forgive me... Skypaw opened his eyes and stared up at the darkening sky. He had one more thing to tell Silverpaw before he moved on. "I love you..." The End! Authors' Notes FROM FIREY: Oh my god I loved the characters so much! I will miss writing about Silverpaw, and I definitely miss her (even though I planned her death out). I know Vee and I will greatly appreciate comments, we really did work hard on this. I know this was an amazing collab to do with Vee, and this is my second collab done! (an accomplishment :D) Thank you all for sticking with us and please, please comment! FROM VEE: this was fUN HELLO. little murder kitties sup the characters were like interesting and yes so like-- fireys a great writer and even tho this took like months or whatever its done yes !! what. um. go comment please that is all Category:Collabs Category:Eevee's Fanfictions Category:Cchen3's Fanfics